Expectations 01/04/21

The Premier League has finally returned and it's time to be excited again, although as an Arsenal fan strain, stress and anxiety come hand in hand with the excitement. We start the end of the season against a stuttering Liverpool team who have lost six and won only twice in their last eight Premier League games.

It is my prediction and indeed hope that this fixture will be played like the Arsenal v Liverpool games of a few years ago, where we exchanged goals as if playing with your mates in the cages. 3-3, 4-3 and of course 4-1 to The Arsenal in 2015. The reason for this being the mental block Arsenal have had recently regarding the Man Citys and Liverpools should be starting to diminish with victories coming in the league and FA Cup last season, showing signs that with the right game plan and a monumental team effort, anything is possible.

The injury crisis at Liverpool has been unfortunate but also nothing short of comedic, with Klopp relying on midfielders to plug the gaping holes in their back line. With this in mind, I expect Mikel to be drawing up a game plan with the intention and conviction that we can take the game to them and their low in confidence and depleted defence.

I believe the similarities between this game and those high scoring and exhilarating encounters of years gone by to not end with Arsenal finding their attacking flow. With Diego Jotta picking up where he left off before his injury, scoring at will for club and country, not to mention the hot and mainly cold Roberto Firmino who can score against us without looking, they have a real threat. I wouldn't be surprised if the fortnight apart for the Liverpool team has acted like a short break for a struggling marriage, and suddenly the spark has reignited, the corner has been turned, the husband has moved back in. It would be typical for the resurgence of Klopp's team to come against Arsenal - then again, I welcome it. I truly believe this time we are equipped, with the likes of Odegaard, Partey and Tierney who seem to be unaffected by the mental block of a superior opponent unlike many of our squad who would sooner roll over and admit defeat before the first whistle than show initiative to win.

My predictions for the result and line up will inevitably be wrong, that I can say with complete confidence. The all-important tie on Thursday against Sparta Prague will weigh heavily on Mikel's mind, not to mention worrying injuries to Emile and Saka, and the inopportune three national fixtures where by Granit and Kieran played every minute, combining to be 540 minutes of football in 6 days!

Either way, I will give it a go: 3-2 to The Arsenal and my line up would read as follows:

Leno, Cedric (Callum to start on Thursday), Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Granit, Partey, Pepe, Laca and Martinelli (although I suspect Willian to get the nod)

What do you think gunners? I'm dropping Auba for this one.